1. Field of Invention
This invention is in the general field of dispensing medication and, more particularly, automatically dispensing the medication in accordance with a schedule and signaling when the medication is dispensed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An example of the prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,453, issued Jun. 13, 1998 to Lucksteed which discloses a disk having pockets which successively register with an opening in an underplate to permit medicine to fall into a tray. The disk is turned by a motor which is switched off at the proper time by a portion of ferrous material in the periphery of the disk which affects a magnetically sensitive switch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,136 to Loisl discloses a dispensing device comprising a manually-turned disk having openings for receiving pills. The openings successively come into alignment with an opening above a drawer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,651 of Skidmore has a disk with compartments about its periphery, the stopping of the disk being effected by means of lever-actuated pins on the disk, the pins adapted to contact a control switch.
Benorya's U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,403 provides a compartmented annular storage tray and a cover with a door which aligns successively with the compartments. The mechanism includes visual and audible alarms.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,113 of shaw provides a “vaned” wheel disposed on a horizontal axis with compartments between the vanes into which pills are inserted. When a disk rotates, the compartments successively align with a bottom opening in a surrounding housing. Means are provided to block over-discharge by shutting the dispenser down.
Heretofore there has not been a portable medication dispenser wherein a large amount of different medications are easily loaded for distribution to a patient over an extended length of time. Moreover, there has not been a portable medication dispenser that monitors the taking of the medication and provides for emergency care.